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JoshuaA
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Everything posted by JoshuaA
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Hellements was the first though, it created the hooded element. I think you have to give credit to Tulleys for basically creating a whole new type of maze, hooded mazes wouldn't exist if it wasn't for Tulleys debuting Hellements back in 2011. This is true, The Volt was somewhat of a failed experiment. Though it was completely unlike any other maze (bar The Dark at The Howl). Most events wouldn't mess around with crazy ideas like Tulleys did back in 2015. True, though honestly I wouldn't call Wastelands 'run of the mil'. The theming in the maze, in the queue, and the immersive area and show around it is on a such epic scale. Wastelands theming is things most scare events could only dream of having.. I think there is so much you could do to innovate in the scare industry, at the end of the day if a maze is scares someone or at least entertains them, its done its job. I think you could call mazes from any event 'run of the mill', most scare events have a walk through that has actors jumping out at you, that is just part of the formula.
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I think they have been innovative in the past 10 years or so. Hellements to my knowledge was the first of its kind back in 2011, Chop Shop used a trope and put a cool twist on it, Coven's opening section is clever, The Volt literally used electric shocks, and Wastelands uses segregation which is a first for Tulleys. I think Tulleys have been straying away from that recently. Wastelands and Wreckoning are both mazes where actors can talk and be interactive, I think the real offender would be every maze have growling zombie like creatures as the characters. Twisted is long maze where actors jump out, but the ability for actors to make jokes and interact makes it more than just a maze where people make you jump. Hayride is also a massive antithetical attraction to this, Its a immersive experience full of humour, theming, effects, and Madonna. To be fair the 11th attraction doesn't have to be a maze, it could be a show, it could be a escape room, it could be anything really.
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I guess it makes sense, its hard to do 11 attractions, so any repeats would be difficult anyway. So it will affect queues probably very minimally. This is a good question, personally I like the expansion. I think Tulleys are really leading the industry forward in this country, and they have been doing so since 2009. I think Tulleys are really trying to establish themselves as the 'best of the best', the biggest, the Halloween Horror Nights of Europe. It obviously must be doing something good for them if we are seeing even more expansion after last year.
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I guess it depends on the maze. Haunts such as Hayride or Wastelands will suffer, but mazes such as Cellar or Cottage honestly won't be affected at all but this as they don't tend to get a queue anyway! Cellar seems to get a tad forgotten about until the final hour or two and cottage really never seems to get a queue, some people going through those mazes twice or more honestly won't affect it too bad. I also think during the quieter nights it won't be too bad as the queues are very mild anyway. I went on one of the busiest nights and the largest queue was a hour. The event during the first operating hour and the final operating hour is also very quiet too, with smart planning you can avoid those bad queues. I really hope they limit re-runs for other guests on the more busier attractions as that could certainly prove hetic, though for mazes such as Cellar or Cottage, or even Twisted to a certain degree, it shouldn't be too much of a issue. If it does turn out to be a bad idea, Tulleys will probably revert it back anyway. They've run the event so efficiently the last two decades, I would be surprised if they would let their current standards drop.
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Man, what I would do to have Alton as my home park instead of Thorpe.
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Even just the parks alone are literally the most attended and profitable parks on the earth. I'm sure one park going under for a month or two won't hurt too much in the long run, Disney literally own the monoply board when it comes to attendance and profit. Like the nearest chain is Merlin, which really wouldn't even be relevant if it wasn't for the Legolands..
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Nice to see the park retracking that large red monorail.
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Honestly my expectations were so low for this announcement, I'm really not phased by it lol. I guess its better than a ride removal?
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This could certainly be difficult for the parks but I think the Disney parks will be just fine considering Disney is a absolute cash cow. For other parks like Ocean Park it might be more devastating as those parks don't have the abundance of cash to fall back on like Disney has. I guess January/February is probably a more quiet time of year luckily. It would be much worse if it was like July/August.
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Seconded. Valhalla was/is a brilliant attraction though a huge liability to a park that probably cannot keep up with the high running costs that Valhalla demands.
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I loved Asylum though honestly bringing back Freezer/Asylum would honestly be kind of a questionable move IMO. Freezer/Asylum was a very simple maze, literally just mirrors, strobes, and some barbed wire. They could easily incorporate the core elements of the classic maze into a new attraction, look at Creek Freak and Big Top, these mazes took what Asylum did and then built on it. I would much prefer something like Studio 13 to return, simply because it was much more unique and complex than Freezer/Asylum.
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The Blue Barnacle (Previously Black Buccaneer)
JoshuaA replied to themeparkmad's topic in Chessington World of Adventures
I changed it for you so it makes more sense -
Honestly think the rocking boat idea could make for a really immersive dark ride. I hope they install one at Europa just to make their dark ride offering even more stupid than it already is. I think the Powerloop might be not as good as its older brother but it sure will be a favourite for the GP and a launched inverting watercoaster is something innovative for the industry. I really do hope the rocking boat idea gets showcased, I think it could take off in the dark ride market which mack kinda dominates anyway tbh.
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The Blue Barnacle (Previously Black Buccaneer)
JoshuaA replied to themeparkmad's topic in Chessington World of Adventures
Chessington nice move. Replacing Buccaneer with a similar ride model, replacing Rameses pretty much right after closing with another decent looking flat ride. This is how the Merlin parks should deal with closures.. Don't just leave your plots of land derelict (Skyway, Loggers, Slammer. Ripsaw) -
Wait.. So Aroma Scents. There is the letters R, M, C in Aroma Scents... Hmmm...
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I really don't know how scents are going to be a at the forefront of any new addition.. Usually smell pods are a finishing touch to a dark ride or scare maze- just a icing to a good cake (theming, fog, actors, music).
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Even then though, where will the tent go? We have Do Or Die's fairly small plot of land, Amity Beach (which was problematic when last used) and not many other viable options to plonk a tent or any temporary structure. I honestly think that Living Nightmare's location will continue to be used for a maze. It has been used for various mazes and has been a maze location since the beginning of the event, Hellgate, The Passing, Cabin, I would be surprised if it wasn't a maze location next year.. I put my money on them using IAC's building for a new maze soon, I honestly think that would be a very wise way to use the plot after Jungle Escape finishes. I also hope they use Saw Alive's floating structure too, as right now that also is just sitting there. Temporary tents and containers certainly are great for events like Tulleys where space is a non issue, but at Thorpe they don't have the space to do so, so they have to get creative with any buildings that already exist,
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Thorpe: the redheaded step-child of the Merlin family since 2016. Getting new screens and maybe a bench if we're lucky?
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Stuff that "Triggers You as"/"Makes You Cringe at" an Enthusiast
JoshuaA replied to Charlesberg's topic in General Discussion
I like it, though honestly I do prefer Dragster, Steel Vengeance, and Maverick over it. Its a good ride, that first drop kick ass, but I do kinda admit on the first ride I was slightly underwhelmed. -
Stuff that "Triggers You as"/"Makes You Cringe at" an Enthusiast
JoshuaA replied to Charlesberg's topic in General Discussion
In the 'typical average theme park' comment I meant Being completely minted of any money you ever had in your pocket Feeling constantly like a cattle in a cattle pen Some rides that really aren't much different from something at your local fair (but for $100!) Disney are great, but IMO there is parks that do things on a similar if not better scale to them. If I was given the choice between most Disney parks and Europa- I would choose Europa in a heartbeat. I didn't feel much magic, or even much immersion in their parks. Everest is brilliant but I never felt the parks are magical or immersive as a whole, but that is my controversial opinion. -
I'm really excited to visit Phantasialand this year. I adore Europa Park for it beauty and its charm and Phantasialand doesn't seem any different. I disagree for the most part. Look at Alton Towers, this park gets tons of investment and is very likely to receive the next coaster within the UK parks. Why is this the case? Competition.. Blackpool, Drayton, Flamingoland, LV, any trace of competition in UK market is in the North, hence why Alton still receives the biggest investments. Merlin know they have to invest in Alton to keep the park at the top of the market, the other parks promote Alton to be the best it can be. Chessington and Thorpe don't receive investment because what is their competition? Paulton? Dreamland? Lol. They rule the roost in the south, they could add nothing in the next 20 years and still be the best parks in the south.. Merlin just don't care, why should they invest in two parks that will still turn tons of profit without any investment whatsoever. Legoland is the one exception to this, but that park is a absolute cash cow and every new ride is a new shop full of profit to be made waiting to happen.. I think people spending more cash at Merlin Parks isn't the solution, its having more competition in the south to actually make Merlin care about their non Legoland-southern parks..
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Stuff that "Triggers You as"/"Makes You Cringe at" an Enthusiast
JoshuaA replied to Charlesberg's topic in General Discussion
For me its people who compare everything to Disney like its the best thing since sliced bread. The GP seem to view Disney with rose coloured glasses, they seem to forget about the overcrowding, long queues, overpriced crap, and how the park really is no different from the same crap we experience at your average theme park. -
As I said, there is much more urgent areas in need of life- Loggers and Old Town being worse than Amity Beach by miles. Amity Beach I think at least needs some kind of change in the future, that could be a bulldozer, or it could be a refurbishment. X No Way Out was Thorpe first big main coaster and a part of their history, didn't make it suck any less.. Hence why they changed it. And yeah man, my enthusiast agenda really doesn't mix with your Merlin-fanboy agenda lol
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In theory that sounds great, though even on sunny days the park seem to close it pretty randomly due to staff or maintenance.. It doesn't help that the British Summer more often than not fails us and people get wet from the rain than the beach.. I recon it probably operates 3-4 weeks throughout that time to weather, staff, and maintenance. Which isn't very long tbh. I honestly don't like Tidal Wave for a similar reason, though at least that is actually open even when nobody in the world wants to ride it. I might be in the minority, but I just don't like Amity Beach aesthetically. It gives me tacky pier vibes, it reminds me of Blackpool and thats not a good thing. I would certainly keep Depth Charge, but the whole beach area is a potential development waiting to happen IMO. Well, only behind the Loggers site, Slammer site, Old Town in general, the island next to Swarm, and the DBGT site when it closes in the next 5 years lol. I don't particularly like it but I guess there is more urgent areas in need right now..
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Amity Beach is tacky and rundown, Legoland's outdoor small water area does what Amity Beach does and does it a lot better. Amity Beach rarely opens and is entirely expendable, sure it does serve families but there is so much to be desired with Amity Beach, it is very dated and a eyesore when walking in. Thorpe got rid of X (a much better attraction for families), I don't know why Thorpe wouldn't want to pull the trigger on the beach..
